US F-22 Raptor stealth fighter commands YFQ-44A Fury combat drone in simulated air combat for first time
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On October 16, 2026, the U.S. Air Force announced that an F-22 Raptor stealth fighter pilot successfully issued in-flight tactical commands to Anduril’s FQ-44A Fury Collaborative Combat Aircraft during a flight demonstration over California. The test demonstrated a division of command authority where the pilot assigns mission-level objectives while the uncrewed aircraft’s onboard autonomy software independently manages dynamic flight maneuvers and simulated combat tasks. This operational milestone supports the U.S. Air Force’s broader strategic goal of fielding 500 combat-ready semi-autonomous aircraft by 2032 and an eventual fleet of 1,000 units.
The U.S. Air Force demonstrated an F-22 Raptor commanding a YFQ-44A Fury combat drone during simulated air combat, paving the way for fighter pilots to control multiple autonomous aircraft carrying additional weapons and sensors. (Picture source: US DoD)
On October 16, 2026, the U.S. Air Force announced that an F-22 Raptor stealth fighter had successfully directed Anduril’s YFQ-44A Fury Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) during an airborne tactical-control demonstration conducted earlier that month. The F-22 pilot issued mission-level commands that the Fury’s onboard autonomy software interpreted and executed, including dynamic flight maneuvers and simulated air combat tasks. The experiment involved one F-22 and one YFQ-44A, and the pilot did not remotely operate the Fury’s flight controls, instead assigning actions while the purpose-built uncrewed fighter aircraft independently managed their execution. This distinction is central to the U.S. Air Force’s CCA concept of using crewed fighters to command additional combat aircraft without assigning a separate remote pilot to each drone. It also represents a step toward the service’s objective of fielding 500 combat-ready semi-autonomous aircraft by 2032, followed by an eventual inventory of 1,000 CCAs.
The demonstration tested a division of command authority in which the F-22 pilot acted as tactical commander, assigning objectives while the YFQ-44A autonomously managed its flight path, speed, altitude, and maneuvers. This arrangement differs from conventional remote piloting because the fighter pilot does not need to operate the drone’s flight controls while simultaneously managing the F-22’s radar, weapons and defensive systems. The test involved the 412th Test Wing, 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron, 309th Software Engineering Group, CCA Experimental Operations Unit, F-22 System Program Office and CCA Software Autonomy and Teaming Branch. The event also demonstrated real-time mission retasking rather than the simple execution of a fixed preprogrammed route. However, the U.S. Air Force did not disclose the maximum communications distance, command-response latency, autonomous task-completion rate, or number of pilot interventions required for future CCA squadrons, all of which affect whether one pilot can supervise several CCAs against several airborne threats.
Related topic: Netherlands finances two US Air Force CCA prototypes to develop F-35 drone-teaming experience
The F-22’s existing AN/APG-77 AESA radar can track multiple targets while scanning, with an estimated detection range of 201 to 241 km against an aircraft with a radar cross-section of 1 m², while its AN/ALR-94 electronic warfare system uses more than 30 antennas to detect certain radar emissions beyond 463 km under favorable conditions. Sensor fusion combines these detections with identification and communications systems, enabling the pilot to prioritize threats and potentially assign a CCA to investigate or intercept them. The Raptor also incorporates the Inter/Intra-Flight Data Link, MIDS-JTRS terminals supporting Link 16, and upgraded mission processors to accommodate additional software functions, although the control of a CCA requires compatible command interfaces. Its two Pratt & Whitney F119 engines each generate 156 kN of thrust, supporting supercruise near Mach 1.8 and operations above 15,000 m. With six internally carried AIM-120 AMRAAMs and two AIM-9 Sidewinders, the F-22 could retain its own weapons while directing additional armed CCAs, provided that communications and targeting information remain available.
The YFQ-44A originated from Blue Force Technologies’ Fury design, developed under a 2022 U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory contract, before Anduril acquired the company in September 2023. Selected for CCA Increment 1 in April 2024, the Fury first flew in October 2025 and progressed to weapons integration in 2026. Earlier design figures included a 6.1 m length, a 5.2 m wingspan, a 2,270 kg maximum gross weight, and a projected Mach 0.95 speed, although none of which establishes the final production FQ-44’s performance. Test aircraft have carried two external weapons stations, with four planned to accommodate up to four AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles. In July 2026, a Fury launched an AIM-120 using externally supplied targeting information processed through Anduril’s Lattice autonomy software and human weapons authorization, without a confirmed physical intercept. Additional integration work has reportedly involved GBU-54 Laser JDAMs, GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bombs and LAU-131A/A rocket pods. During a July 20 exercise at Creech Air Force Base, a two-person team also completed an inert-missile replacement in single-digit minutes, to develop rapid rearming procedures during dispersed operations.
The October test also belongs to a longer sequence of U.S. experiments that progressively expanded fighter-drone command functions. In October 2025, an F-22 already directed an MQ-20 Avenger over the Nevada Test and Training Range using the Government Reference Architecture for Collaborative Engagement (GRACE) and software-defined radios, while a February 2026 flight added changes to the Avenger’s mission profile, flight path, and combat air patrol assignments. In May 2026, an F-35 controlled an airborne MQ-20 while remaining on the ground, while July 2025 experiments involved F-16C and F-15E fighters that examined cooperation with two XQ-58A Valkyries. F-35As also flew alongside the Fury in July 2026, but did not directly control them. The October F-22 demonstration was therefore the first confirmed airborne tactical-control flight involving the Raptor and a purpose-built YFQ-44A, with future CCA compatibility considered for F-35A, F-16, F-15E, F-15EX and Boeing F-47 fighters.
The CCA program has also advanced beyond selecting experimental aircraft; the U.S. Air Force’s CCA Increment 1 program involves Anduril’s FQ-44 Fury and General Atomics’ FQ-42 Vengeance, with an initial emphasis on air-to-air combat. Both manufacturers received development selections in April 2024 and engineering, manufacturing development and production contracts in June 2026. The service intends to field 500 combat-ready CCAs by 2032, within an eventual inventory of 1,000 units, and is examining configurations involving two drones per crewed fighter. At the targeted $20 million air-vehicle ceiling, 500 CCAs would cost $10 billion, and 1,000 would cost $20 billion, excluding sensors, weapons, development and sustainment. The CCA Experimental Operations Unit is also developing ground-control, maintenance, launch, and recovery procedures to examine how these unmanned aircraft can operate without the same personnel and infrastructure requirements as conventional fighter squadrons. Another planned step is Exercise Emerald Flag in December 2026, when the Fury and the Vengeance are expected to participate in their first large-force employment exercise.
Comparable programs across the world demonstrate different levels of fighter-drone integration. France conducted a July 13, 2026 Rafale F4 flight with a NAMIB-equipped drone that geolocated a radar emitter several dozen kilometers away and transmitted targeting information for a simulated engagement. In June 2026, a Turkish Bayraktar Kizilelma and an M-346FA demonstrated airborne formation changes, separation, and rejoining. Australia’s MQ-28A Ghost Bat conducted an autonomous AIM-120 engagement in December 2025 involving F/A-18F Super Hornets and an E-7A Wedgetail, although the E-7A exercised drone command. In June 2025, one E-7A operator controlled two MQ-28s and a third simulated unmanned aircraft. Russia’s experiments involving the Su-57D and the S-70 Okhotnik, Sweden’s Gripen-related A1/A2/A3 concepts, Airbus’s Eurofighter/XQ-58A work, South Korea’s KF-21/LOWUS teaming, India’s CATS Warrior and China’s J-20S-related programs are also pursuing crewed-uncrewed cooperation, but formation flying and planned integration do not establish direct tactical control from a fighter cockpit.
The operational benefit of fighter-controlled CCAs is the ability to further distribute weapons and sensors without involving more fighter crews. For instance, an F-22 carrying six AIM-120s and commanding two FQ-44s with four AIM-120s each would control 14 medium-range missiles, increasing its nominal missile inventory by 133% if the planned four-missile Fury configuration becomes operational. Forward-positioned drones could subsequently launch missiles from different directions, while sensor-equipped aircraft could collect targeting information without requiring the crewed fighter to approach every threat. However, successful engagements would still depend on target identification, track accuracy, missile guidance, and human authorization. Communications jamming or interruption could prevent mission updates even if onboard autonomy maintained controlled flight. An autonomous aircraft may continue flying after losing communications, but it may be unable to receive updated target assignments or authorization to employ weapons, even though the October demonstration established that one F-22 pilot could direct one Fury through simulated combat operations.
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Written by Jérôme Brahy
Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, South Korea, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.
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On October 16, 2026, the U.S. Air Force announced that an F-22 Raptor stealth fighter pilot successfully issued in-flight tactical commands to Anduril’s FQ-44A Fury Collaborative Combat Aircraft during a flight demonstration over California. The test demonstrated a division of command authority where the pilot assigns mission-level objectives while the uncrewed aircraft’s onboard autonomy software independently manages dynamic flight maneuvers and simulated combat tasks. This operational milestone supports the U.S. Air Force’s broader strategic goal of fielding 500 combat-ready semi-autonomous aircraft by 2032 and an eventual fleet of 1,000 units.
The U.S. Air Force demonstrated an F-22 Raptor commanding a YFQ-44A Fury combat drone during simulated air combat, paving the way for fighter pilots to control multiple autonomous aircraft carrying additional weapons and sensors. (Picture source: US DoD)
On October 16, 2026, the U.S. Air Force announced that an F-22 Raptor stealth fighter had successfully directed Anduril’s YFQ-44A Fury Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) during an airborne tactical-control demonstration conducted earlier that month. The F-22 pilot issued mission-level commands that the Fury’s onboard autonomy software interpreted and executed, including dynamic flight maneuvers and simulated air combat tasks. The experiment involved one F-22 and one YFQ-44A, and the pilot did not remotely operate the Fury’s flight controls, instead assigning actions while the purpose-built uncrewed fighter aircraft independently managed their execution. This distinction is central to the U.S. Air Force’s CCA concept of using crewed fighters to command additional combat aircraft without assigning a separate remote pilot to each drone. It also represents a step toward the service’s objective of fielding 500 combat-ready semi-autonomous aircraft by 2032, followed by an eventual inventory of 1,000 CCAs.
The demonstration tested a division of command authority in which the F-22 pilot acted as tactical commander, assigning objectives while the YFQ-44A autonomously managed its flight path, speed, altitude, and maneuvers. This arrangement differs from conventional remote piloting because the fighter pilot does not need to operate the drone’s flight controls while simultaneously managing the F-22’s radar, weapons and defensive systems. The test involved the 412th Test Wing, 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron, 309th Software Engineering Group, CCA Experimental Operations Unit, F-22 System Program Office and CCA Software Autonomy and Teaming Branch. The event also demonstrated real-time mission retasking rather than the simple execution of a fixed preprogrammed route. However, the U.S. Air Force did not disclose the maximum communications distance, command-response latency, autonomous task-completion rate, or number of pilot interventions required for future CCA squadrons, all of which affect whether one pilot can supervise several CCAs against several airborne threats.
Related topic: Netherlands finances two US Air Force CCA prototypes to develop F-35 drone-teaming experience
The F-22’s existing AN/APG-77 AESA radar can track multiple targets while scanning, with an estimated detection range of 201 to 241 km against an aircraft with a radar cross-section of 1 m², while its AN/ALR-94 electronic warfare system uses more than 30 antennas to detect certain radar emissions beyond 463 km under favorable conditions. Sensor fusion combines these detections with identification and communications systems, enabling the pilot to prioritize threats and potentially assign a CCA to investigate or intercept them. The Raptor also incorporates the Inter/Intra-Flight Data Link, MIDS-JTRS terminals supporting Link 16, and upgraded mission processors to accommodate additional software functions, although the control of a CCA requires compatible command interfaces. Its two Pratt & Whitney F119 engines each generate 156 kN of thrust, supporting supercruise near Mach 1.8 and operations above 15,000 m. With six internally carried AIM-120 AMRAAMs and two AIM-9 Sidewinders, the F-22 could retain its own weapons while directing additional armed CCAs, provided that communications and targeting information remain available.
The YFQ-44A originated from Blue Force Technologies’ Fury design, developed under a 2022 U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory contract, before Anduril acquired the company in September 2023. Selected for CCA Increment 1 in April 2024, the Fury first flew in October 2025 and progressed to weapons integration in 2026. Earlier design figures included a 6.1 m length, a 5.2 m wingspan, a 2,270 kg maximum gross weight, and a projected Mach 0.95 speed, although none of which establishes the final production FQ-44’s performance. Test aircraft have carried two external weapons stations, with four planned to accommodate up to four AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles. In July 2026, a Fury launched an AIM-120 using externally supplied targeting information processed through Anduril’s Lattice autonomy software and human weapons authorization, without a confirmed physical intercept. Additional integration work has reportedly involved GBU-54 Laser JDAMs, GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bombs and LAU-131A/A rocket pods. During a July 20 exercise at Creech Air Force Base, a two-person team also completed an inert-missile replacement in single-digit minutes, to develop rapid rearming procedures during dispersed operations.
The October test also belongs to a longer sequence of U.S. experiments that progressively expanded fighter-drone command functions. In October 2025, an F-22 already directed an MQ-20 Avenger over the Nevada Test and Training Range using the Government Reference Architecture for Collaborative Engagement (GRACE) and software-defined radios, while a February 2026 flight added changes to the Avenger’s mission profile, flight path, and combat air patrol assignments. In May 2026, an F-35 controlled an airborne MQ-20 while remaining on the ground, while July 2025 experiments involved F-16C and F-15E fighters that examined cooperation with two XQ-58A Valkyries. F-35As also flew alongside the Fury in July 2026, but did not directly control them. The October F-22 demonstration was therefore the first confirmed airborne tactical-control flight involving the Raptor and a purpose-built YFQ-44A, with future CCA compatibility considered for F-35A, F-16, F-15E, F-15EX and Boeing F-47 fighters.
The CCA program has also advanced beyond selecting experimental aircraft; the U.S. Air Force’s CCA Increment 1 program involves Anduril’s FQ-44 Fury and General Atomics’ FQ-42 Vengeance, with an initial emphasis on air-to-air combat. Both manufacturers received development selections in April 2024 and engineering, manufacturing development and production contracts in June 2026. The service intends to field 500 combat-ready CCAs by 2032, within an eventual inventory of 1,000 units, and is examining configurations involving two drones per crewed fighter. At the targeted $20 million air-vehicle ceiling, 500 CCAs would cost $10 billion, and 1,000 would cost $20 billion, excluding sensors, weapons, development and sustainment. The CCA Experimental Operations Unit is also developing ground-control, maintenance, launch, and recovery procedures to examine how these unmanned aircraft can operate without the same personnel and infrastructure requirements as conventional fighter squadrons. Another planned step is Exercise Emerald Flag in December 2026, when the Fury and the Vengeance are expected to participate in their first large-force employment exercise.
Comparable programs across the world demonstrate different levels of fighter-drone integration. France conducted a July 13, 2026 Rafale F4 flight with a NAMIB-equipped drone that geolocated a radar emitter several dozen kilometers away and transmitted targeting information for a simulated engagement. In June 2026, a Turkish Bayraktar Kizilelma and an M-346FA demonstrated airborne formation changes, separation, and rejoining. Australia’s MQ-28A Ghost Bat conducted an autonomous AIM-120 engagement in December 2025 involving F/A-18F Super Hornets and an E-7A Wedgetail, although the E-7A exercised drone command. In June 2025, one E-7A operator controlled two MQ-28s and a third simulated unmanned aircraft. Russia’s experiments involving the Su-57D and the S-70 Okhotnik, Sweden’s Gripen-related A1/A2/A3 concepts, Airbus’s Eurofighter/XQ-58A work, South Korea’s KF-21/LOWUS teaming, India’s CATS Warrior and China’s J-20S-related programs are also pursuing crewed-uncrewed cooperation, but formation flying and planned integration do not establish direct tactical control from a fighter cockpit.
The operational benefit of fighter-controlled CCAs is the ability to further distribute weapons and sensors without involving more fighter crews. For instance, an F-22 carrying six AIM-120s and commanding two FQ-44s with four AIM-120s each would control 14 medium-range missiles, increasing its nominal missile inventory by 133% if the planned four-missile Fury configuration becomes operational. Forward-positioned drones could subsequently launch missiles from different directions, while sensor-equipped aircraft could collect targeting information without requiring the crewed fighter to approach every threat. However, successful engagements would still depend on target identification, track accuracy, missile guidance, and human authorization. Communications jamming or interruption could prevent mission updates even if onboard autonomy maintained controlled flight. An autonomous aircraft may continue flying after losing communications, but it may be unable to receive updated target assignments or authorization to employ weapons, even though the October demonstration established that one F-22 pilot could direct one Fury through simulated combat operations.
Explore More Defense News
• Land Defense News
• Naval Defense News
• Defense Aerospace News
Written by Jérôme Brahy
Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, South Korea, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.
